Persistence
by The Punch Lord
Summary: A frustrated and miffed Edea goes for a walk.


**this is written out more with my frustration with agnes currently in Ch 3, i'm hoping she'll get better as the game goes on, but for right now i just want to shake her or something. i get where her anger's coming from, but she's being very childish and frustrating right now.**

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Edea sighed as she patrolled along the edge of the Shieldbearers walls, eyes and ears open for any Swordbearers or Black Blades that could be lurking along the edge, spying in or trying to find a way in. If anyone had a good chance of discovering them, especially the Black Blades, it was her. She knew her master, and had a good suspicion about who was with him. She had worked and seen most of them at some point. She had a fair idea of how she find them if they were here.

"Miss Edea!"

She started, looking up to see Commander Goodman waving at her from his high point in the fort. Waving back, she ran up the steps, mindful not to trip on them as the clouds passed over the moon and darkened the moon. At the top, she greeted the commander with a smile as she joined him in the fort. "I'm surprised you're still up," Edea commented as she peeked over the wooden railing, looking over a desert that's hotter than Harena, as unbelievable as it was for her. Everything below was always hotter than Eternia, making Edea wonder how can people last in such climates.

Goodman smiled warily to her as he slouched against the railing as well. "Its hard to with the Black Blades around, everyone here can't sleep easy knowing that they might be in our shadow."

"I get what you mean," Edea sighed. Tiz, Agnes, and Ringabel are all sleeping easy, she couldn't knowing that her master was here. Another factor was that she and Agnes couldn't sleep in close quarters. They both would just end up lying awake till one passed out. Its just easier if she just left to spare them both the drama and tension. Which lead her to going on a patrol alone, just to make sure that Agnes will be asleep by the time she gets back and there would be no headache to deal with.

"The leader was your master right?" Goodman asked.

"He was."

"Do you... have any idea what their plans are?" he asked.

Edea's mouth opened only to close it just as quickly, tightening her grip on the railing, she stared out at the desert, taking in the blue and purple shades that painted over the sleeping sand. "I... I don't..."

"I understand," Goodman brushed off. "We are asking a lot of you to stand up against your master."

_At least someone gets it_, Edea couldn't help but think, torn between feeling ashamed for such a thought or feeling like it was right for her to think so. Mrgrgrgr, why couldn't' that stupid girl get it? Tiz got it, and he is just as sore about Eternia as Agnes is, especially as they came across more and more Eternians. He was willing to look past it, she was even grateful that he was starting to stand up for her, coming to her defense when Agnes started to push too far.

Did it really mean nothing? She willing fought against Crowe and Heinkel, she fought against Einheria and the Venus sisters, killed them... and she even gave herself up to take her master's blade instead of Agnes.

All that time, all that she had given up and sacrificed, and it still wasn't enough?

Why was she even bothering? Maybe she should take Agnes' suggestion and just leave.

"How about you retire for the night soldier?"

She jumped a little, turning to the commander. "What?" she asked.

"You're mind's else where and you're tired, its probably for the best if you went back to bed," Goodman said.

"Probably," she agreed, offering him an apologetic smile before turning away and hurrying down the steps, making a beeline to Eisenberg. Deathstalkers prowled near, watching her go by with pale, blue eyes that gleamed in the shadows. A few stray firas flaring around her kept them at bay, letting her have a peaceful walk back to to the boiling city.

At the bridge, she paused when she saw a figure slumped on the ground. Surprised and concerned, she ran up to see it was Ringabel on the ground, his head lolled to the side as he snoozed, his journal loose in his hands. Her hand went up to check his neck with a slight grumble in his sleep stilled her, making her sigh in relief to see that he was ok.

"You idiot," she grumbled softly, rolling her eyes at the typicality of it all. Of course he'd know if she'd sneak off, of course he'd wait for her return. He was always waiting, always willing, shadowing her like a happy puppy, spouting on about his love for her. A love Edea couldn't grasp. How can you love someone you just met? They didn't know each other before. She's sure she would have remembered meeting someone like Ringabel, especially by his personality.

His claim that she really is the one, that they are in love and fated to be together, what makes him so sure? What makes him so eager and persistent? Edea shakes her head, having a hard time imagining just what goes through his head that makes him so sure. No matter how many times she shoved him back, he still persisted.

She smiled a little, chuckling at the irony of it.

She was becoming the same with Agnes in a sense wasn't she? Persisting to prove her wrong, that she was on their side; just as he was willing to prove that they were meant to be.

"...ea," she heard him whisper under his breath as he shifted, rolling to his side a little. She rolled her eyes a little before reaching out, slipping her hands under his arms pulling him up with a slight grunt. "Lets get you to bed," she told him as she slid an arm over her shoulder, escorting them both back to the inn.


End file.
